Brake Pads

[scca_stang]

I have been looking into brake pads a lot lately and know that they are one of the most important parts of the brake system especially on a road race or autocross car...

Here is my situation:
I have a 1995 GTS that I am swapping front brakes for 03/04 Cobra calipers/rotors. I am currently running 01 GT brakes with unknown pads (seller told me that they were Hawk HP's) and slotted rotors.
I am also swapping rears for 96-04 Cobra vented rotors and pads. (also told that they are 01 GT Brakes with Hawk HP rears and solid slotted rotors.

My Brand new 03/04 Calipers came preloaded with OEM Pads from Ford Racing, not sure how good these are or how friendly they will be to my new slotted rotors.

I have been looking into several pads and want to know what experience people have with them.

Hawk Carbon pads
Apex Kevlar pads
EBC Green Stuff
" " Yellow stuff
" " Red Stuff
OEM style Metallic pads
OEM style Ceramic pads

I have used EBC Green stuff pads in the past and have been happy with them, and obviously I have used OEM style Metallic and Ceramic pads on the street and the track.

the problem with the OEM pads (no experience here with a Mustang) is that they tend to fade once they get hot.

the thing I liked a lot about EBC Green pads is that they tend to work well even after hot and also work when cold... the only problem is that they squeak a lot when cold.
However, truth be told, I swapped to a slotted rotor at the same time on the car I ran the EBC's on, so it could have been the pads or the rotor.

what ever pad is in my Mustang now, I was fairly happy with, I didn;t seem to over heat them in autocross conditions, but not sure about on a road coarse. they could be anything really.

what does everyone recommend?
mind you, I am being budget conscience and I would like to NOT have to spend $200 on EBC's if I do not need to.

Click to read more...

 

[scca_stang]

not sure if it is gonna stay this way, but I just installed one side of my 03/04 Cobra front brakes on my 95... looks killer... I might still pull them off for a pad swap, but that won't take long... other good thing is that the other guy had 01 GT brakes on there and already installed Russel coated stainless lines, so the front lines matched the 03/04 calipers, no banjo bolts to buy, no lines to buy.

 

[Rotzs99]

A wise open tracker once told me this when I asked him what to get for brakes

Carbotech XP10s for the front and XP8s for the rear (Pads). You also need to get in touch with Anthony (2881) and get a brake duct kit from him (under a 100 I think). As for brake rotors, don't ever get caught in the idea of slotted/cross-drilled bling bling. They will crack on the track. Brembo OEM blanks are all you need.

That is from brkntrxn from SVTP. They have a good knowledgeable Open Track section over there.

 

[01Cobra]

EBC yellows are that sweet superfly kickass shit. :headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang::headbang:








That is all:cool2:

 

[01Cobra]

I should mention I purchased brand new brembo blanks from tire rack to go along with the new ebc yellows when I installed. No squeaks either.

 

[batman]

ac delco

 

[scca_stang]

thanks for the input guys.

 

[nytebyte]

If you're talking pads for street use, it is my opinion that the Hawk HPS pads are crap. The stockers are better.

 

[scca_stang]

If you're talking pads for street use, it is my opinion that the Hawk HPS pads are crap. The stockers are better.

combintion, street and track (autocross)... but mostly autocross.

 

[ShelbyGuy]

Every time i tried an EBC product I was left wondering what people see in them. I'll pass, thanks...

Track pads are something a person needs to work their way up to. What works fine for a less experienced tracker with a lighter car, would be gone in two sessions for me and my 03. The tires make a huge difference too as the tires are what actually stops the car.

Try Ferodo DS2500 up front and stockers on the rear.

Also, forget about the same pad working well for both track and street. When you get to the track, put the track pads on. Thats free advice.

 

[Maniak]

Every time i tried an EBC product I was left wondering what people see in them. I'll pass, thanks...

Track pads are something a person needs to work their way up to. What works fine for a less experienced tracker with a lighter car, would be gone in two sessions for me and my 03. The tires make a huge difference too as the tires are what actually stops the car.

Try Ferodo DS2500 up front and stockers on the rear.

Also, forget about the same pad working well for both track and street. When you get to the track, put the track pads on. Thats free advice.

ben, i would take john's advice. he has a ton of experience in this kinda of stuff.

 

[scca_stang]

Every time i tried an EBC product I was left wondering what people see in them. I'll pass, thanks...

Track pads are something a person needs to work their way up to. What works fine for a less experienced tracker with a lighter car, would be gone in two sessions for me and my 03. The tires make a huge difference too as the tires are what actually stops the car.

Try Ferodo DS2500 up front and stockers on the rear.

Also, forget about the same pad working well for both track and street. When you get to the track, put the track pads on. Thats free advice.

do you do autocross or open track road race? they really do take a different brake setup.
my brake setup on a autocross car would probably not last long or work as well in a open track car and I know that.

as far as experience is concerned I have quite a bit (been autocrossing for about 5 years), just not with Mustangs, that is the reason for the thread asking advise.

I have never had a problem running the same pads on the street that I picked for the track, but then again, I only drive the car to the track and to the occasional cruise in or meet. so I would like to just pick one pad, the car never sees very many miles, thus durability is not the question here.

as far as tires, I have that covered, I run Kuhmo Ecsta V710's (full slick) and they grip very well.

I am not trying to dismiss your advise as I think it is valid if I were to run full length open road race tracks, but I believe that I may not have been clear on my experience or intended use of the car. I am past the point of "working my way into" race pads. Not saying I am an expert or anything, but I am well past the point of being a "novice"

The pads you recommend (Ferodo DS2500), will they work well as an autocross pad or just on an open track pad?

 

[Fast99Snake]

for a street autox pad you cannot go wrong with hawk hp plus's imo

i have some spares for the pbr 13 inch front setup that would be found on an 03 cobra
if your interested, I'll let 'em go for cheap.
(i upgraded to the 00r brembos and have no use for them)

 

[ShelbyGuy]

Depends on what you mean by 'autocross.' soloI or soloII? as in, cones in a parking lot, or time attacks?

My open track setup is hawk ht10 up front and hawk blue on the rear. Coleman 2pc rotor, and sticky tires. If the car doesnt have sticky tires, it won't need racing pads. I don't think street tires could keep enough heat in a set of ht10 pads.

Hawk blue 9012 pad compound is insanely caustic when it gets wet so wash the car if it rains and you're using hawk blues.

the galpher pad that comes stock in the 00r caliper is a good street/cones/time attack pad as its soft and low-temp enough for street use but durable enough for things that get them somewhat hot. Same with the ferodo pad. not sure if galpher makes that compound in the blank for the pbr two pot caliper. but then, i dont think much of the stock cobra two pot pbr caliper in the first place. too flexy.

think of the ferodo ds2500 as a hawk hp+ that doesnt suck.

do you do autocross or open track road race? they really do take a different brake setup.
my brake setup on a autocross car would probably not last long or work as well in a open track car and I know that.

as far as experience is concerned I have quite a bit (been autocrossing for about 5 years), just not with Mustangs, that is the reason for the thread asking advise.

I have never had a problem running the same pads on the street that I picked for the track, but then again, I only drive the car to the track and to the occasional cruise in or meet. so I would like to just pick one pad, the car never sees very many miles, thus durability is not the question here.

as far as tires, I have that covered, I run Kuhmo Ecsta V710's (full slick) and they grip very well.

I am not trying to dismiss your advise as I think it is valid if I were to run full length open road race tracks, but I believe that I may not have been clear on my experience or intended use of the car. I am past the point of "working my way into" race pads. Not saying I am an expert or anything, but I am well past the point of being a "novice"

The pads you recommend (Ferodo DS2500), will they work well as an autocross pad or just on an open track pad?

 

[scca_stang]

agreed 100% on the sticky tires... I don't know how many guys that I have heard that after you mod the driver, your first mod should be good tires... they will make the biggest difference in time initially... that's why I run the Kuhmo V710 (full slick and very sticky)

The autocross I am talking about is parking lot racing with cones... not time attack.

Depends on what you mean by 'autocross.' soloI or soloII? as in, cones in a parking lot, or time attacks?

My open track setup is hawk ht10 up front and hawk blue on the rear. Coleman 2pc rotor, and sticky tires. If the car doesnt have sticky tires, it won't need racing pads. I don't think street tires could keep enough heat in a set of ht10 pads.

Hawk blue 9012 pad compound is insanely caustic when it gets wet so wash the car if it rains and you're using hawk blues.

the galpher pad that comes stock in the 00r caliper is a good street/cones/time attack pad as its soft and low-temp enough for street use but durable enough for things that get them somewhat hot. Same with the ferodo pad. not sure if galpher makes that compound in the blank for the pbr two pot caliper. but then, i dont think much of the stock cobra two pot pbr caliper in the first place. too flexy.

think of the ferodo ds2500 as a hawk hp+ that doesnt suck.

 

[ShelbyGuy]

My cone-crushing experience is limited [well, ok I've knocked over plenty] because my local sports car club lost their location [jojuco] and I got sick of getting my ass kicked in ESP. I should have moved into SM instead [street mod, not spec miata you goofs!].

I'm probably the wrong guy to be giving advice to cone crushers.

 

[Fast99Snake]

I run the hawk blues for OT and in my somewhat limited experience with them this year I loved em, only complaint is pad life

the galpher pads that came with the brembos worked surprisingly well for a street pad.
the hp plus's also worked decent for a street track pad, they can be somewhat noisy in the cold sometimes

as for the sticky tires, a street tire will teach better car control as you will be able to find the limits much more easily and learn to ride the limit, and they're cheaper

once you go r-comps you never go back, the grip is quite addictive

 

[scca_stang]

as for the sticky tires, a street tire will teach better car control as you will be able to find the limits much more easily and learn to ride the limit, and they're cheaper

once you go r-comps you never go back, the grip is quite addictive

agreed on both points...

what I was trying to say in my previous comment about tires being one of the first major mods to the car after you fix the driver was accually all about that...

I used to run a 93 Eclipse AWD Turbo... I did it on street tires for a couple of years and then picked up a cheap used set of Hoosiers...
at the next event (a test and tune), I ran 3 runs on the street tires, went 75 seconds and some change, swapped to the slicks and went 67 seconds and some change... what an amazing difference.

 

[ShelbyGuy]

Few things are funnier than watching an instructor/group1 driver go back to street tires after a weekend on sticky tires

<snip>
once you go r-comps you never go back, the grip is quite addictive